Velázquez Hosts Immigration Strategy Roundtables in Brooklyn and Queens
NEW YORK- Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) brought together local service providers, advocates, and policymakers for an urgent discussion on the impact of recent Trump administrations immigration policies. The conversation focused on how local leaders and non-profits can support immigrant communities in the face of the administration’s aggressive deportation tactics and expanded interior enforcement efforts.
Held at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn and CUNY School of Law in Long Island City, the roundtables featured national immigration experts and local organizations who shared their perspectives on the real-life consequences of these policies. Attendees explored strategies to protect immigrant communities, ensuring they have access to legal resources and critical support during this challenging time.
“In the wake of the Trump administration’s unprecedented immigration actions, it’s vital that New Yorkers stand up to protect our immigrant communities," said Congresswoman Velázquez. "Today’s roundtable shows that our community is united in defending our neighbors and ensuring immigrants know their rights. New Yorkers are strong, resilient, and ready to defend the rights and dignity of all who call our city home."
“In just a few days, President Trump has unleashed a blizzard of executive actions which have put immigrant communities in fear and threatened to take away legal status from thousands of New Yorkers,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council. “This roundtable was an important opportunity for local leaders to come together and figure out what has happened already, what is yet to come, and what all of this means for the communities they support.”
"CUNY School of Law was honored to host this critical conversation during such a pivotal moment for immigration policy,” said Sudha Setty, Dean of CUNY School of Law. “Our students and faculty bring both lived experience and advocacy perspectives to our classrooms and clinics, where we work toward both immediate and systemic change. Through collaboration with community organizations and those gathered today, we remain committed to expanding access to justice."
"As we see families too scared to go to school and jobs, punitive enforcement that ensnares American citizens, and reductive policies including the unconstitutional effort to end birthright citizenship, it is more important than ever to organize to protect New Yorkers’ rights," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "I applaud Congresswoman Velázquez for uniting our community for this essential conversation, because New Yorkers will stand together in the fight to keep families together."
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, "Thank you so much to Congresswoman Velasquez for organizing this group of community leaders, advocates and experts to identify ways to respond to this Administration's attacks on our immigrant communities. All new Yorkers deserve to live safe, stable, and dignified lives without fear. We are ready to collaborate and equip our neighbors, friends and loved ones with the knowledge and resources they need in the event of an ICE raid at their workplace, places of worship, schools, or homes."
“In the wake of harmful and xenophobic Presidential policies, we need to protect our neighbors who live in our sanctuary city. The immigration roundtable at CUNY Law highlighted plans and strategies to provide legal assistance and other critical aid to vulnerable communities being targeted,” said Council Member Julie Won. “Thank you to Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez for your leadership and for hosting this important conversation.”
"Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez is demonstrating what strong leadership looks like in times of crisis. I'm grateful to the Congresswoman and her team for gathering key stakeholders across the community to discuss the threats that our new presidential administration has posed to New York's vibrant immigrant communities. When local leaders come together at events such as this, we can make better plans to publicly share accurate information about our laws and cultivate strength in developing united strategies for protecting our immigrant neighbors and other vulnerable populations. I look forward to future collaboration that makes clear that together, we are standing strong alongside immigrant New Yorkers."- Council Member Alexa Avilés.
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